Bob pin for hair dressing



Feb. 27, 1951 w. H. ROTHE 2,543,642

' BOB PIN FOR HAIR DRESSING Filed April 4, 1950 I INVENTOR. zzmw fizz M f;

Patented Feb. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOB PIN FOR HAIR DRESSING William H. Rothe, Irvington, N. J.

Application April 4, 1950, Serial No. 153,926 4 Claims. (01. 132 -50) This invention relates to improvements in pins for use in dressing the hair and holding it in place; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to an improved hairpin of the bob pin type.

The invention has for an object to provide a bob pin formed with superposed top and bottom sections or legs, wherein the bottom section or leg exceeds in length the length of the top section or leg so as to provide the former with a freely extending leading end portion, and wherein said leading end portion is of such novel structural formation that, in use, when the bob pin is inserted in or withdrawn from the hair, both risk of scratching or injuring the scalp and cutting or injuring the hair filaments is eliminated. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel bob pin construction wherein the leg sections and especially the leading end portion of the bottom leg section are free from sharp edges, burs or fins which, if present, would be likely to injure both the scalp and hair of the user.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bob pin having the leading end or tip portion of its bottom leg section so shaped that the extremity thereof is fended from contact with the scalp when the bob pin is inserted in the hair of the user, and the shape of which is further adapted to gently part or separate the hair filaments, when the pin is inserted or withdrawn, without exerting uncomfortable pulling of the hair filaments.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following specification is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a bob pin embodying the novel structural features of the invention; and Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view, greatly enlarged, of the leading end or tip portion of the bottom leg section of the bob pin; Fig. 4 is a side or edge elevational view of the same, and Fig. 5 is a detail transverse vertical section, taken on line 55 in Fig. 4.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts. i

The bob pin is formed from a single flat strip of resilient material, such e. g. as spring steel, which is doubled upon itself to provide a bottom leg section A and an overlying or opposed top leg section B. Said leg sections A and B are joined by an end loop Iii. The side edges of the leg sections are smoothly rounded so as to be free from sharp edges. The respective leg sections may be variously shaped, but in any case the length of the bottom leg section A exceeds the length of the top leg section B, whereby to provide the former with a freely projecting end portion or tip which extends beyond the free end or tip of the latter.

In the illustrative form of bob pin shown in the accompanying drawings, the bottom and top leg sections are of the structural formation disclosed in my prior United States Letters Patent No. 2,439,436, wherein the top leg section B terminates in an upwardly inclined terminal portion H which is divergent to the plane of the underlying portion of the bottom leg section A. In the manufacture of bob pins, a blank of predetermined length is severed from the strip metal stock, said blank being thereafter shaped to desired leg section formations and doubled upon itself to superpose said sections. In severing the blank from the strip metal stock, the cut leaves burs, fins or sharp edges on the extremities of the blank, the presence of which is very objectionable, especially with respect to the freely projecting end or tip of the bottom leg section, for the reason that such burs, fins or sharp edges are likely to scratch and irritate the scalp and to cut or damage the hair filaments when the bob pin is inserted in or removed from the hair by the user.

As above stated the present invention deals with the provision of a bottom leg section. free end or tip portion of novel formation from which all burs, fins or sharp edges are eliminated.

,This novel end or tip formation is produced by swaging the metal of the bottom leg section A, by means of suitable tools, whereby to reshape the metal to provide a flattened ball-like end member [2 disposed in the horizontal plane of the bottom leg section, and connected to the main body of the latter by a laterally reduced and perpendicularly thickened neck portion I3 having concavely indented sides I4, and convexly contoured top and bottom projections l5 and I6 which are respectively perpendicular to the upper and lower face planes of the flattened balllike end member l2. The free end or tip formation of the bottom leg section A, as thus characterized, provides said leg section with a fiattened ball-like extremity, the peripheral edges of which are smoothly rounded, so that, when the bob pin is inserted in the hair by the user, said 3 extremity will easily and smoothly separate the engaged hair filaments, whereby the bob pin will penetrate the hair without drag on the hair filaments. Furthermore, the convex projection l6, which extends beyond and outwardly of the under face plane of the end member l2, provides a skid-like support for said end member which fends the same from harsh scraping contact with the scalp, both during entrance of the bob pin into the hair and during withdrawal of the bob pin from the hair. The upper convex projection [5, which extends beyond and outwardly of the upper face plane of the bottom leg section A, and beneath the upwardly inclined terminal portion I l of the top leg section B, cooperates with the latter in offering resistance to acci-' dental outward displacement of the bob pin from. its operative inserted disposition within the hair. The concavely indented sides I4 of the neck portion I 3 also contribute in offering resistance to accidental outward displacement of the bob pin from the hair.

Due to the rounded contours of the described novel end formation with which the bottom leg section A is provided, not only are all burs, fins or sharp edges or projections eliminated, but said end formation is so streamlined that movement thereof through the hair will take place without the least uncomfortable pulling of the hair filaments, and without the least risk of cutting or injuring the latter.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A hairpin of the bob pin type comprising a flat strip of springy metal doubled upon itself to provide opposed bottom and top leg sections, the bottom leg section exceeding in length the top section whereby to provide the former with a freely projecting end portion, said end portion including a flattened ball-like end member, and a neck portion of reduced width and increased thickness connecting said end member to the main body of said bottom leg section, said neck portion providing a projection offset from the plane of the under face of said end member whereby to form a skid-like support for the latter.

2. A hairpin of the bob pin type comprising a flat strip of springy metal doubled upon itself to provide opposed bottom and top leg sections, the

bottom leg section exceeding in length the length of the top section whereby to provide the former with a freely projecting end portion, the top leg section terminating in an upwardly inclined terminal portion divergent to the plane of the bottom leg section, said bottom leg section end portion including a flattened ball-like end member, and a neck portion of reduced width and increased thickness connecting said end member to the main body of said bottom leg section, said neck portion providing a projection offset from the plane of the under face of said end member whereby to form a skid-like support for the latter, and said neck portion further providing a projection offset from the plane of the upper face of the bottom leg section, said last mentioned projection underlying the inclined terminal portion of the top leg section.

3. A hairpin of the bob pin type comprisin a flat strip of springy metal doubled upon itself to provide opposed bottom and top leg sections, the bottom leg section exceeding in length the length of the top section whereby to provide the former with a freely projecting end portion, said end portion including a flattened ball-like end. member, a neck portion having concavely curved sides extending between said end member and the main body of the bottom leg section, and said neck portion being further provided with a convexly curved under side offset from the plane of the under face of the end member, whereby to form a skid-like support for the latter.

4. A hairpin of the bob pin type comprising a flat strip of springy metal doubled upon itself to provid opposed bottom and top leg sections, the bottom leg section exceeding in length the length of the top section whereby to provide the former with a freely projecting end portion, said end portion including a flattened ball-like end member, a neck portion having concavely curved sides extending between said end member and the main body of the bottom leg section, and said portion being further provided with convexly curved top and bottom portions respectively offset from the top and bottom face planes of the end member and bottom leg section.

WILLIAM H. ROTHE.

No references cited. 

